The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of vicinal epoxides and alkylene dihalides.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,906 it was disclosed that unsymmetrical .beta.-haloalkyl carbonates may be decomposed by heating in the presence of quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts thereby forming vicinal epoxides and halogenated alkanes.
It is known that cyclic carbonates may be decomposed to form epoxides in the presence of various catalysts. Such a process particularly directed to the preparation of propylene oxide by decomposition of propylene carbonate in the presence of a sulfonium or phosphonium halide or any of certain metal salts is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,234.